A resources multinational temporarily stopped relocating toxic material and gave away employee housing.
Rio Tinto confirmed it recently paused transporting radioactive parts and donated a mobile worker camp to the Western Australian Government.
“The investigation is progressing to get to the bottom of exactly what happened so it does not happen again. We have put a stop on the movement of capsules … [and] taken out services gauges from that manufacturer,” iron ore chief executive Simon Trott said according to News Limited.
The accommodation is promised to house 40 people impacted by a once in a century flooding event that recently damaged community infrastructure in Broome, Derby, Fitzroy Crossing and other parts of the Kimberley.
Facilities includes a dry mess, loading dock, office space, water tanks, water treatment plant, laundry and first aid facilities. AMR can reveal the structure is worth $4 million. This more than adequately covers taxpayer-funded bills associated with finding a gauge part containing Caesium-137, which went missing between 10 and 16 January 2023 while being moved between the Koodaideri iron ore mine and a Malaga transport depot.
The container was placed into storage and the capsule inside, measuring 8mm high and 6mm wide, was only reported lost on January 25. Specialists from the Australian Defence Force, WA Police Force, State Department of Health, Department of Fire and Emergency Services WA, Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation eventually located the object about 70km south of the mine on February 1.
“This camp satisfies the obligation to pay for the search … [and] we are confident we can get it there [Fitzroy Crossing] by the end of April,” Trott said according to the media outlet.
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